Kids make movie about local species at risk

When children from Ottawa elementary schools were asked to name a species at risk most answered with ‘polar bear!’. Endangered bird species that nest or roost in Ottawa were rarely mentioned.

Hoping to bring greater awareness to local species at risk, Nature Canada’s NatureHood team paid visits to over a dozen Ottawa-area schools, meeting with 700 children in kindergarten through to grade seven. Staff gave presentations about four of Ottawa’s species at risk – chimney swift, bobolink, barn swallow and monarch butterfly – and introduced simple actions that could be taken to help protect the species, ranging from keeping cats indoors to installing a bird feeder.

The children were also invited to participate in the making of a unique video about the species. Made from the compilation of colourful drawings made by the children, the movie will depict scenes from an average day in the life of all four species.

Below is a selection of drawings that caught our eye. Stay tuned for the video!